Alvin Kamara is one of the most recognizable running backs in the NFL, known for his explosive playing style and long career with the New Orleans Saints. Away from football, however, his personal life has also attracted plenty of attention.
One of the most notable people connected to Kamara is Te’a Cooper, a former professional basketball player who has built a name for herself through sports, business and social media.
Cooper is not simply known because of her relationship with an NFL star. She has her own athletic background, having played college basketball at several major programs before entering the WNBA. She has also explored entrepreneurship and fashion, giving her career a wider focus beyond the basketball court.
Kamara and Cooper have kept many details of their relationship private, but their romance became public in 2021. The couple later welcomed a daughter, Stori Kamara, in December 2022.
Here is a closer look at Te’a Cooper, her basketball career, relationship with Alvin Kamara and life as a mother.
Who Is Te’a Cooper?
Te’a Omari Cooper was born on April 16, 1997, in Newark, New Jersey.
Her family later moved to Georgia when she was around 10 years old. She attended McEachern High School in Powder Springs, Georgia, where her basketball ability quickly became clear.
Cooper grew up in a family with strong connections to basketball. Her father, Omar Cooper Sr., has worked in coaching and sports-related business, while her brother Sharife Cooper also pursued a professional basketball career.
Growing up in that environment gave Te’a an early introduction to competitive basketball.
She eventually became a highly regarded college player and continued working toward a professional career.
Te’a Cooper’s College Basketball Career
Cooper’s college basketball journey included stops at three major programs.
She initially played for the University of Tennessee from 2015 to 2017. She later transferred to the University of South Carolina, where she played from 2017 to 2019.
Her final college stop was Baylor University, where she played during the 2019 to 2020 season.
Moving between programs gave Cooper the opportunity to develop her game in different systems and compete at a high level.
By the end of her college career, she had established herself as a talented guard with the athleticism and competitive personality needed to pursue professional basketball.
Te’a Cooper’s WNBA Career
Cooper entered the professional basketball world after being selected in the second round of the 2020 WNBA Draft.
The Phoenix Mercury selected her with the 18th overall pick.
Her path into the WNBA was complicated by the unusual circumstances surrounding the 2020 season. Cooper was released by Phoenix before eventually joining the Los Angeles Sparks.
With the Sparks, she played as a guard and gained valuable experience at the professional level.
Her time in the WNBA added another major achievement to a basketball journey that had already taken her from Georgia high school basketball to several major college programs.
Although professional sports careers can change quickly, Cooper’s WNBA experience helped establish her credentials as an elite-level athlete.
How Did Alvin Kamara and Te’a Cooper Meet?
The exact details of how Alvin Kamara and Te’a Cooper first met have largely remained private.
Reports indicate that they began spending more time together around 2021 after both had moved on from previous relationships.
By September 2021, they had publicly acknowledged their relationship through social media.
Their public appearances and posts gave fans a clearer picture that the two athletes were dating.
Both Kamara and Cooper already understood what it was like to live under public attention because of their careers. That shared experience may have helped them understand the pressures that come with being in the spotlight.
Still, they have generally avoided sharing every detail of their romance.
Their Relationship Became Public in 2021
By late 2021, Kamara and Cooper were no longer keeping their relationship completely private.
Social media offered glimpses of their life together, including celebrations and special occasions.
Cooper also publicly celebrated Kamara’s birthday in July 2022, giving followers another look at their relationship.
Despite the attention, neither has turned their relationship into a constant public spectacle.
Much of their personal life has remained away from interviews and headlines.
That privacy became even more important after they welcomed their daughter.
Te’a Cooper and Alvin Kamara Have a Daughter
Kamara and Cooper welcomed their daughter, Stori Kamara, on December 25, 2022.
The arrival of Stori marked an important new chapter for both athletes.
The couple kept much of the pregnancy and early part of their daughter’s life relatively private.
Unlike some celebrity couples who share frequent photos and updates about their children, Kamara and Cooper have been more selective about what they reveal.
Stori’s birth also connected two successful athletic backgrounds through the next generation of their family.
At such a young age, there is no reason to assume that Stori will follow either parent into professional sports. For now, she is simply growing up with two parents who have experienced high-level athletics firsthand.
What Does Te’a Cooper Do Now?
Te’a Cooper has built a career that extends beyond basketball.
She has been involved in entrepreneurship and the beauty industry, including a hair-extension business known as Hollywood Luxury Hair.
She has also worked with fashion and lifestyle brands, including Fashion Nova.
These ventures have allowed her to use the personal brand she developed through basketball and social media.
For Cooper, entrepreneurship provides another way to stay connected to the business side of sports, entertainment and fashion.
Her career therefore has several different parts. She is a former WNBA player, businesswoman, public figure and mother.
Te’a Cooper’s Parents and Family
Te’a Cooper comes from a sports-focused family.
Her father, Omar Cooper Sr., has been involved in basketball coaching and sports-related businesses. He has also been associated with LifeStyle Sports Agency and LifeStyle Sports Bistro.
Her mother is Kindall Cooper.
Her older brother, Sharife Cooper, is also a basketball player. Sharife was selected in the NBA Draft and continued the family’s strong basketball tradition.
Growing up around people who understood the demands of competitive sports likely influenced Te’a’s own approach to basketball.
The family’s athletic background is one of the more interesting parts of her story because basketball was not simply a career choice for Cooper. It was part of her environment from a young age.
Te’a Cooper’s Height and Age
Te’a Cooper was born in 1997, making her 28 years old in 2025.
She is commonly listed at around 5 feet 8 inches tall, or approximately 1.73 meters.
Her athletic build and speed helped her play the guard position during her basketball career.
She has also spoken publicly about her faith and has identified as Christian.
Te’a Cooper’s Life as a Mother
Motherhood has become another important part of Cooper’s life since Stori’s birth.
Having a child while navigating a public relationship and professional ambitions creates a different set of responsibilities.
Cooper and Kamara have generally chosen to keep their daughter’s life away from excessive public attention.
That approach gives them the opportunity to enjoy family life without turning every personal moment into content for social media.
It also allows Stori to grow up with a degree of privacy despite having two well-known parents.
Te’a Cooper’s Life Beyond Alvin Kamara
It is easy to describe Cooper primarily as Alvin Kamara’s girlfriend, but her own career tells a much broader story.
She was a high-level college basketball player, a WNBA draft pick and professional athlete. She later moved into business and lifestyle ventures.
Her relationship with Kamara is one part of her public identity, but it does not define everything she has accomplished.
Cooper’s journey from New Jersey to Georgia, through several major college basketball programs and eventually to the WNBA, shows the level of dedication behind her athletic career.
She has also continued to build her own identity after professional basketball.
Final Thoughts on Te’a Cooper and Alvin Kamara
Te’a Cooper and Alvin Kamara are both accomplished athletes who have built careers in highly competitive professional sports.
Their relationship became public in 2021, and the couple later welcomed their daughter, Stori, on Christmas Day in 2022.
While Kamara has established himself as an NFL star, Cooper has her own impressive story. She played college basketball at Tennessee, South Carolina and Baylor before entering the WNBA with the Phoenix Mercury and later joining the Los Angeles Sparks.
She has also explored entrepreneurship, fashion and beauty ventures.
Today, Cooper’s life combines family, business and her long connection to basketball.
Her relationship with Kamara naturally attracts attention because of their fame, but her own accomplishments make her story worth knowing. From a young basketball player in Georgia to a WNBA athlete, entrepreneur and mother, Te’a Cooper has built an identity that goes well beyond being known as Alvin Kamara’s girlfriend.